The city will begin installing its digital camera surveillance system downtown next week.

The City Council voted 9-0 Thursday night to appropriate the $180,000 needed place the cameras.

Deputy Mayor Peter Ryan said installation would start next week with the cameras becoming operation in December.

"I am definitely in support of installing cameras in high crime areas of the city," said Councilman Ken Zalewski, D-5th District.

"Cameras give us some extra eyes," Zalewski said.

Councilwoman Nina Nichols, an at-large Democrat, said the work is the culmination of a project begun earlier this year.

The surveillance system was described as a pilot project. Six intersections were to be covered, but nine will now have camera coverage due to the city receiving federal forfeiture funds to help pay for installation.

The $180,000 project is supported with $90,000 from the Troy Capital Resource Corporation and $90,000 in federal forfeiture funds.

The cameras will be installed at intersections along Third and Fourth streets from Ferry Street north to Fulton Avenue.

Each intersection will have five cameras, including one panoramic camera, for a total of 45 cameras that will be monitored from police headquarters.

The city's camera locations are at Ferry at Fourth streets, Ferry and Third streets, Congress and Fourth streets, Congress and Third streets, State and Fourth streets, State and Third streets, Broadway and Third Street; Fulton Avenue and Fourth Street and Fulton Avenue and Third Street.

Councilman Mark McGrath, R-2nd District, complained about the continued attention to downtown while other parts of the city aren't being covered.

"I'm glad that downtown is going to be well protected and the hell with the rest of the neighborhoods," McGrath said sarcastically.

Councilman Rodney Wiltshire, Democrat at-large, said the work has to begin where the infrastructure is available. The city is using RPI's fiber optic cable downtown to help get the system up and running.

The council tabled an ordinance to create a permit system for overnight parking in its Fifth Avenue Parking Garage, State Street Garage, "Y" Lot and Congress Street Lot. The ordinance failed to list the number of parking spaces involved. City officials said last month these lots and garages have 598 parking spaces.